


The Real Mistakes were the Friends we Made Along the Way

by keelah_seyah



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fix It Fic, Molly's back, The Mistake (the boat), except where it's not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-04-05 23:40:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19050841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keelah_seyah/pseuds/keelah_seyah
Summary: Hi I just watched episode 36 and I thought the Nein could use a pick-me-up.





	The Real Mistakes were the Friends we Made Along the Way

**Author's Note:**

> This is unbeta'd and un edited because I write fic on the fly and choose not to spend my editing spoons on it, please do not leave con crit. I originally intended this to be a longer piece with shipping but then I got to what is currently the end and decided I was satisfied. That may change. Technically canon compliant until about episode 35? w

Mollymauk cackles like a maniac when he sees the  _ Mistake _ docked at the Open Quay, the curls on the K as familiar as his own heartbeat. Jester hadn’t meant to shuffle the knight of cups right into a tankard of beer, but she’d fixed it as soon as it had dried, that was Molly’s favourite card now. He wasn’t sure how he was going to get onto the ship until a familiar Zemnian accent caught his eye. He turned his head to see a squat blond man embarrassing himself in front of the dockmaster, hassled by a halfling who was screeching echoes to their companions words. After that, it was just a matter of hanging around and looking fidgety. Fjord- or at least, Molly assumed it was Fjord - found him soon enough. Neither could see through the others’ disguise, but there was a spark of familiarity as they looked each other up and down. 

“I hear you’re looking for crew.” Molly asked, disguising his voice. There was going to be a reason the Nein were in disguise, and honestly the shock would be sweeter the longer it waited. 

“We are. Are you an accomplished sailor?” 

Molly choked back his glib automatic answer, that honestly he had no idea, and responded with a cocky grin instead. 

“I’ve done my time.” 

“And do you have any commitments that would prevent you from joining our crew for a month, possibly longer?”

“Not a thing.” 

“Well then. Welcome to the Mi- The Mistake.” Fjord’s disguise held out a hand, and Molly did the same. He knew the feel of those callouses beneath the tanned human skin. 

“Thank you Captain..” 

“Uh… Tusk..tooth”. 

“Captain Tusktooth.” Molly couldn’t help the grin that pulled at the sides of his mouth. “I’ll make my way aboard, if that’s alright?” 

Fjord dropped his hand in a hurry, and Molly held back his laughter like a champion. 

 

The side of the ship was scorched with the telltale blast of a fireball, and Molly ran his fingers along it as he climbed the gangplank, wondering if it was Caleb’s work, or something else. He tried to take his time getting settled, but he honestly couldn’t settle the excited jitters he’d gotten since stepping aboard. It wasn’t long before he saw a familiar dark shape leaning against a railing, scanning the quay for danger. 

“Yasha.” He murmured, walking up beside her as quietly as he could. She didn’t turn to him immediately, but he could tell she was listening. “I’m glad they saved you Yasha. I’m sorry I couldn’t.” He wasn’t sure he could be heard above the sound of the docks and the gulls, but she placed a hand on his on the railing and squeezed. 

“I knew you’d be back.” She replied. Her voice was almost a whisper, and when she turned to him there was a glimmer of tears in her eyes. But then she grinned. “I  _ knew  _ it.” 

 

A familiar loud voice announced the arrival of Jester and a stranger with barrels and crates of supplies, and the rest of the morning was taken up unloading and stowing cargo. What didn’t come naturally to Molly, the other crew were willing to show him, and before he’d had a chance to reveal himself to anyone else, they were casting off. When they got a way out from the port, the Nein dropped their disguises, and Molly almost burst into tears immediately with relief seeing them all there. He stuck it out, maintaining his disguise, just long enough for Fjord and the tortle navigator Orly to get them past the Selazzo, and then as the sun set over the ocean, he nodded to Yasha. She stood up straight and said, with the unfamiliarity of Common lending formality to her words. 

“If we have hired you today, please leave the deck. We have a final private dealing.” 

Nobody hesitated except a single deckhand who was in the middle of tying a knot. Fjord took over and tied it without looking, staring quizically at Yasha. She sat down, and the Nein gathered around, as well as the stranger who had brought the supplies aboard with Jester. Molly shrugged. It made sense that they’d replaced him, but he couldn’t say it didn’t sting. 

With everyone off the deck except their strange family, Yasha’s face broke out in a grin. 

“I have the biggest surprise for everyone!” She said, and the Nein looked around warily. One by one their eyes landed on Molly, still in his human disguise. With a deep breath, he dropped it, and there was a stunned silence followed by the startled yelling of five voices. 

“I _TOLD_ YOU” Nott screeched over them all, and Molly felt tears streaming down his cheeks as she launched into his arms. 

“I didn’t think you even liked me, Nott the Brave.” 

“Shut up. I don’t.” She squirmed and he put her down as Beau punched him in the arm. 

“You’re an asshole, I can’t believe you waited this long to come back.” 

“What, like I got a choice about it? Darling I just do what the body allows.”

“Didn’t Caduceus make tea out of you?” Fjord asked, and Molly shrugged, oddly in synch with the Firbolg who had stayed silent so far. 

“Was that why my tapestry was covered in mushrooms?” 

“Ja, probably it only took to the tapestry.” Caleb looked deep in thought already. Jester put her hand on the Firbolg - Caduceus’- shoulder. 

“Don’t feel too bad about it Caddy, I don’t even think Molly would make nice tea.” 

She walked up to his other side and threw her arms around his waist. 

“I’m sorry.” She murmured into his side.

“What for, darling?” He asked.

“If I hadn’t got kidnapped -” She didn’t finish the sentence, but she didn’t have to. Molly swallowed the sob that threatened to escape his throat and kissed her between the horns. 

“Don’t think like that. I’m here now aren’t I, and so are you.” Jester nodded, then jumped, excited. 

“Oh! And so is sprinkle!” She fished a… weasel? Ferret? Out of her hood. “We left Nugget with Mama though, and Beau lost Professor Thaddeus.” Fjord put a hand on her shoulder and smiled, fond as ever. 

 

Gods how Molly had missed these people. 

 

The tears escaped him now, and Jester threw her arms around him again. Beau joined in reluctantly, and before long the Nein were all embracing him at once. A few moments passed and Caduceus wrapped thin arms around the whole group. 

 

“It’s nice to meet you Mollymauk Tealeaf.” His voice was deep, but not as deep as Pumat Sol’s, and Molly could tell he was sad about something. That was a question for another time though, and as the hug broke up, Molly asked the question that had been on his mind all day. 

 

“So why the  _ Mistake _ ?” 

 

Everyone groaned at once, and Molly settled in for a good story. They had been through the wringer, he could tell, but as he leaned against Yasha’s shoulder to listen, he was among family again, and the troubles of yesterday seemed so far away. 


End file.
